Gathering marks centenary of Czechoslovakia in HCM City

Participants in the gathering in HCM City on October 28 pose for a photo (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – A gathering was held in Ho Chi Minh City on October 28 to mark the 100th founding anniversary of Czechoslovakia, part of which is the Czech Republic at present. Nguyen Muoi, Chairman of the Vietnam-Czech Republic Friendship Association in HCM City, said the two countries boast a time-tested friendship that has overcome ups and downs in history to keep developing. The Vietnamese people always keep in mind the precious support that the people and government of then Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic now have given to Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation in the past and national construction and defence at present. Bilateral relations have enjoyed strong progress in politics, diplomacy, economy and trade in recent years, he noted, adding that many high-ranking delegations have made mutual visits with the most recent being a trip to Vietnam by Vojtech Filip, Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech parliament. Bilateral trade has continually increased over the past years, reaching 1.02 billion USD in 2017 and expected to hit some 1.2 billion USD in 2018, Muoi added. For her part, Olga Chojnacka, First Secretary and head of the consular division at the Czech Embassy in Vietnam, appreciated the HCM City people’s sentiment towards people of Czechoslovakia in the past and the Czech Republic at present. She considered this a favourable basis for their countries’ traditional friendship to thrive in multiple… [Read full story]